The Gambling Commission has passed information to the Metropolitan Police alleging five more officers placed bets related to the timing of the General Election, the force has said. It brings the total number of Met Police officers under investigation in relation to alleged bets to six.

Scotland Yard said on Tuesday (June 25) that it had been passed details from the Gambling Commission alleging the five further officers had placed bets related to the timing of the poll.

The force said the Commission continues to investigate the matter, but the officers have not been arrested. The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed, according to the force.

It said the officers are based on the Royalty and Specialist Command, the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and the Central West Basic Command Unit.

The Met said in a statement that none of them work in a close protection role and decisions on whether they will be subject to any restrictions have yet to be taken.

Today’s announcement from Scotland Yard comes after the arrest of a Met officer on June 17 for misconduct in public office in relation to bets placed on the General Election timing.

The police constable from the Royalty and Specialist Protection Command is on restricted duties, according to the Met Police.

Its statement added: “It is still the case that only one officer is under criminal investigation.”

The news came after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pulled support from Conservative Party candidates Craig Williams and Laura Saunders amid the betting row.

Mr Williams, who was Mr Sunak’s parliamentary aide, and Ms Saunders, who is standing in Bristol North West, no longer have the support of the party.

Because nominations have closed, Mr Williams – who is standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr – and Ms Saunders will both still appear on ballot papers.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “As a result of ongoing internal inquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming General Election.

“We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing.”

As well as the two candidates, a couple of senior Tory officials have taken leave of absence after being drawn into the Gambling Commission investigation.

Ms Saunders’ husband Tony Lee, the party’s Director of Campaigning, and Chief Data Officer Nick Mason, have stepped back from their duties.

Tory peer and former Brexit secretary Lord Frost said of the Conservative candidates: “We get there in the end. But why did it take so long to come to a decision that seemed so necessary right from the start?”

Steve Baker was the first serving minister to call for those who placed bets on the election date to be suspended by the party.

The Northern Ireland minister told ITV’s Peston that Mr Sunak should take action: “I would call them up and ask them, ‘Did you do it?’ And if they did it, then they are suspended.

“But the Prime Minister would have to answer why he hasn’t done it. I haven’t got inside information on why the Prime Minister hasn’t done it.”

London’s Metropolitan Police, meanwhile, said it was “simply untrue” to say the force leaked the names of people suspected of using inside information to bet on the July 4 election date.

A source close to the Cabinet Office told the Daily Telegraph the Gambling Commission is telling the Met “and then almost instantly these names are finding their way to journalists”.

The Met said the leak allegations are simply untrue and the force continues to liaise with the Commission, assessing information the body has provided.